The Hardships that Follow
by welcometotheoc
Summary: Marissa dies. How will Ryan and their 3 children deal with it? Future Fic. SS and kinda MR. Ryan big character. Look I'm not good with these, It's my first Oc multichap story, so please R&R Holidays in like 4 days, and fast well everyone.
1. Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: Oh the usual, I don't own anything that belongs to The OC those remain the property of Mr. Josh Schwartz, Mr McG and Fox. All those people and places not belonging to anybody, in other words the ones that came out of my imagination are all mine. You could sue me if you really wanted, but all you would get would be my ugly brown potato sack, my big load of school books, and about 20 australian cents, and you are welcome to all of them, although on second thoughts I may need my school books, so you cant have them, like you would want them anyways...

GO THE JEWFRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter One

Questions and Answers

"What's wrong with my daddy, Sethie?" Seth looked down at the small blonde haired girl. She looked back at him with her big blue eyes, just like her father's.

"Ummm he uhhhhh" Seth stammered, trying to hide from her piercing young eyes.

"Do you want me to take over?" Summer asked as she saw him stammer with the question.

"No, I can handle it. Go talk to Charli." He said referring to Ryan's oldest daughter who had locked her self in her room.

"Lucy..." he said bending down to be on eye level with the girl.

"Remember how a while ago your daddy told you that your mommy was really sick?" the little girl nodded. "Well your mommy, she had to uhh le.., t... to go to a special place" he tried to come up with a euphemism.

"Will I ever see her again?" asked the child, tears brimming in her innocent eyes.

"No, well yes but not for a long time. One day you will go to where she is and she will be waiting there for you, to give you a big hug." He saw the little girls small face, now stained with tears, begin to break out in a small grin.

"Lets go see how your brother is doing, and maybe we can get some ice-cream" he said holding out his hand to her, but instead she held her arms up to him, waiting to be picked up. He turned and placed her on his back, ready to give her a piggy-back down the hall.

Meanwhile...

Summer cautiously knocked on the 14 year olds door.

"Go away!" came a muffled voice from inside the room.

"Charli, you have to let me in."

"No I don't!" With this Summer inserted the key and unlocked the door.

"how did you get in?" The young adolescent questioned rubbing her tear stained face.

"I did know where your parents kept the key." She said waving the key in front of her face, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. "Charli, I'm gonna turn on the light ok."

"Ok" came the reply.

Summer slowly moved over to the light switch and turned it on. She looked over at the teenager, who with her bloodshot eyes and tearstained face looked much younger than her 14 years.

"Oh, Honey" she said walking over to the bed and sitting down. Summer held out our arms to the young girl.

"Why did she have to die?" Charli sobbed into her aunt's shoulder.

"Its going to be ok, sweetie." Summer tried to comfort her friend's daughter. She continued holding the girl, for she didn't know how long but until the tears subsided.

"Hey look, you and Sammi and Lucy are going to be staying with me and Seth for a while, while your dad recovers, so if there is anyone you want to invite over, just ask me and we can organize it Ok."

The girl nodded.

"So what do you want to do?" Summer asked the now sniffling girl.

"Can we ummm, go see the grave, it's just that ummmm at the funeral everyone kept pushing me away from it, like they didn't want to see it." rambled Charli. She had seen the pained look in her aunt's eyes when she suggested it and rambling was a nervous habit she had picked from her uncle.

"We don't have to if you don't want to Sum" Charli suggested.

"No, its okay sweetie we can go, but maybe not today, is tomorrow ok for you." Charli nodded in agreement.

"So what do you want to do today? Your uncle has taken out your brother and sister for ice-cream" Summer patted her niece's skinny knees, a trait she had inherited from her mother, in fact Charlotte-Lily Atwood, in every way radiated the late Marissa Cooper-Atwood. She and the same nose, eyes, jaw line, hair and the same tall, lanky frame. It sometimes hurt Summer to look at the 14 year old, because when she did, she saw a fourteen year old Marissa.

"I dunno. Can we go to South Coast plaza?"

"You want to go shopping?" Summer asked

"Yeah, I mean no, it's just that I like it there, everything is so perfect. You walk around feeling like all your problems can be solved by the right nail polish or a new pair of shoes. I know that sounds stupid." She said looking away.

"No it doesn't sound stupid." Summer recognized that last statement as something the Marissa used to say all the time. Charli certainly was her mother's daughter.

"Sure Honey, we can go."

"Let me just clean up and maybe change my clothes" Charli, cheered up a little.

"Sure" said Summer before walking out and closing the door behind her.

It was going to be a long road of recovery for the young girl who saw her mother die.

E/N: Just in case you didn't get it. Ryan and Marissa were married but Marissa got really sick and passed away. Ryan's taking it really badly. Charli is to. Charli is their oldest child, she is ummm 14. Ryan and Marissa had her when they were like 20 so, Ryan, Summer and Seth are about 34. Ryan and Marissa also had 2 other kids, a 9 year old Boy called Samuel (Sammi) and Lucy who is 4 years old. Seth and Summer are married but don't have any kids. The three kids are staying with Seth and Summer while Ryan gets it together back in the pool house.

So what did you think? Please tell me, I know it was short but if you like it future chapters will be longer, plus I have vacation in like 2 weeks, with little to no homework, just a portfolio and cleaning my room. So I can post heaps. So tell me what you like, what you don't, I'm a big girl, I can take it.

And sorry to all you Marissa fans but I wanted a main character to die, and she was the first one who came to mind, plus it gives Ryan some angsty moments. But I like her character too, she is interesting, the teen alcoholic. But anyways.

Oh and wish me happy birthday, It's the 17 of September.

And good luck to all those in the Northern Hemisphere who are starting school at the moment.

And Ally and Em if you are reading this email me.

Also anyone who feels like emailing, please do, I want to an e-pal and also I want to co-write a story with someone. My emails are and 

(replace the (AT)s with at signs.)

Lots of Love

Beckie.

Please, Please, Please review. Pretty please with a cherry on top.


	2. Memories

Disclaimer: Blah, Blah Blah, the usual, I don't own anything that isn't mine, for the whole spiel look at the very first disclaimer, that one goes on, as I am a rambler.

Quick Note: Sorry, to those who said it was a shame that I killed Marissa, I know shes one of of my fave characters too, but I couldn't bring my self to kill Seth or Summer, and I really didn't want to go into all the depression that would have followed if I killed Ryan, so she was the obvious choice. But don't worry, there will be flashbacks, with her. And I am looking forward to kind of bringing back her character in Charli, but I'm not sure yet if I want to do that.

Ok, does anyone know the eye colours of the characters. I am not sure, for this chapter or until I find out, I am saying that Marissa's eyes are brown and Ryan's are blue.

Also this is kinda like self-promotion but can you please read my other story that I posted recently, Plastic Knives, I just don't know if it is good, but can someone read and tell me what they think, cuz so far only two people have reviewed so I am not sure whether it is good or not.

!?!?!?!?!JUST HAD MY B-DAY!?!?!?!?!

(it was on Friday)

Here we go

Chapter Two

Memories

He couldn't get the memories of her out of his head.

Her big innocent looking eyes, her silky hair, her smooth skin, her flat belly, her voice, all the thing she had said to him over the last 17 years, their wedding and most of all those last few minutes he had had with her. He loved her, he truly loved her, and she had been one of the first people he ever trusted. And she had been the only one to try to prove that she wouldn't give up on him.

It was really hard and he felt guilty, the one person he loved more than anything in the world had gone and he couldn't even look at his daughter, he felt guilty because it hurt him to look at her. She just reminded Ryan of Marissa to much.

He slowly lay his tired and worn out body down on the familiar bed, hoping that maybe, just maybe sleep could take over his body and the images would go away.

He closed his eyes and slept for what seemed the first time in days. It had been a whole 2 and a half hours before he had started dreaming about her again. At least that was an improvement.

He knew from previous experience that he wouldn't be able to go to sleep again so he grudgingly stood up and walked out of the pool house into the main house and the kitchen.

"Couldn't Sleep?' Kirsten asked him as he walked in.

"Huh, I mean yeah" She had shocked him, he wasn't expecting anyone.

"Sorry, I didn't think any one else was up"

"yeah, well you know my father, the slave driver, no emotions, you would think... but no" Kirsten replied starting to look fed up.

"Yeah" replied Ryan, somewhat distantly.

"Honey, its going to be Ok" Kirsten said sypathenticly as she came over to hug him.

"Oh, Kirsten was always a big hugger" Sandy announced as he walked in on the scene.

"You really know how to ruin a moment don't you?" Kirsten pulled out of her 'moment'.

"What can I say, it's a Cohen family trait" Sandy said shrugging his shoulders as he walked over to the coffee pot.

"Whatever, I'm going to go to bed" Kirsten muttered and padded away in her slippers.

"Ryan" Sandy asked noticing Ryan's half there look.

"You miss her don't you" He said leaning back against the opposite counter,

"Yeah"

"Again with the one word answers, I though you were out of that"

"I guess it was her"

"Yeah I guess it was. Look Ryan, you've got three really great kids and they really need you right now, especially Charli. I know she must be the hardest to face but she needs you."

"Yeah, I know" Ryan looked at his feet.

"Look I know you miss her, but you gotta pull yourself together, for them and for you." Sandy sighed putting his arm around Ryan's shoulders.

"I know, I just wish I didn't have to happen to me, to us" He stammered.

"I know, its just one of the hardships in life. Now lets have some of that fresh coffee."

"It's a not that fresh"

"Well lets have a some not so fresh coffee" Sandy declared.

"Ok" Ryan smiled slightly.

"Well look at that, I got a smile. Kirsten I got a smile" He yelled out into the dark house"

"I definitely see Seth in you, I mean you in Seth"

"I thought you would have learnt that many years ago" Sandy says as he grabs a mug of the not so fresh coffee and walks to the table. He looked over at his 'son'. He knew that the young, troubled man standing there and a long road of recovery in front of him and he planned to be there every step of the way.

E/N: So whaddya think. Loved it, hated it? Tell me what you like, what you don't, I'm a big girl, I can take it. In fact I'm a whole year older than I was last time I posted. Sorry its so short, I have a lot of work due this week but I want to post at least once a week.

Holidays in 4 days!!!!! YAY!!!!!! And for all you jews out there, hope you have a sweet new year, and fast well.

Once again Ally and Em if you are reading this email me.

I also need some ideas, so if you have any email me at:

welcometotheoc17 (this one is at gmail )

welcometotheoc (this one is at hotmail) Both are dot com

I want ideas for this story and I maybe someone can give me an idea that doesn't involve killing a character.

OMG as I was writing this chapter I was watching The Proposal, god Ryan and Marissa are candy cute, makes me want to vomit sometimes, they are too sweet.

Anyways I'll post again soon and I look forward to your reviews (hint, hint nudge, nudge)

L8ers

Lots of Love

Beckie

Please review. Pretty please with a cherry on top.


End file.
